Hitting the (pill) bottle

March 29, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been having chronic headaches for years. I am on a prescription called Flexeral. People think I like taking meds and they think nobody has that many headaches every day. The past couple of years or so, they go down to my back. I’m seeing a specialist now and I asked him if it’s something that happened when I was younger. He said he doesn’t think so and we’ll be working on one thing at a time.

I am in my 50s now. I was around 15 when this problem started. A friend of my relatives banged my head on the floor. I tried getting medical attention but the relative who told him to do it was more worried about keeping his family together. In the past I tried over-the-counter stuff and I got yelled at for that. I’m tired of pain and people thinking I like taking pills. I’ll keep with the specialist for now but I would like to hear what you say on this matter.
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Autoimmune disorder a real headache

October 1, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: What can you tell me about antiphospholipid antibody syndrome? It has stirred my life up and caused pain no one can explain. I have had two pulmonary embolisms and deep blood clots down both legs clear to my toes. Since then, my chest hurts almost every day. If there’s no pain, pressure is present. The same with my head. I have had headaches and pressure when there isn’t pain. I also have trouble sleeping with ups and downs all night. I’m lucky to get a couple of hours sleep at a time. I’m wide awake at night but during the day I feel the worst and am tired. All I know is that no one seems to know much about this enemy of mine.

DEAR READER: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an unusual disorder in which the immune system incorrectly produces antibodies against certain normal proteins in the blood, [Read more...]

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Aspirin powders prevent headaches

August 28, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I read your column about debilitating headaches in my local paper. I have had headaches for about 35 years and have found a way to stop them before they start. I take one BC aspirin powder every morning within an hour of waking up, and it lasts all day. I never have any problems with headaches anymore. I’ve found that it’s important to take it within the first hour of waking up; otherwise, you might still get a headache.

I have been taking BC powders for 35 years and feel healthy and strong. I hope you will pass this along to others who have headaches of any kind.
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Another remedy for cluster headaches

October 31, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I saw your column about cluster headaches and wanted to tell you about my husband’s experience. He suffered with these for many years. He was on medication, hospitalized, and even had sinus surgery, but nothing worked. I began researching and found that he was most likely suffering from cluster headaches, something his doctors hadn’t told us. I also found that ginseng might help. He now takes ginseng tablets daily and has not had a headache since. The only kind that doesn’t seem to work is American ginseng, and the brand doesn’t seem to matter, either. I hope this helps some of your readers.

DEAR READER: Thank you for writing. I have printed your letter in the hopes that it will in fact reach those readers who need it most. [Read more...]

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Cluster-headache sufferer offers advice

September 12, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am 80 years old and have spent some 40 years in radiology as an X-ray technologist. Now that I’m retired, living in Pennsylvania, I write adult and children’s books.

When I was 19 years old, I developed cluster headaches that, at times, became unbearable. I presented all the classic symptoms. Our radiology office was located in a professional building, along with 40 other specialists. At the time, I became a guinea pig. I had everything from Novocain injections into my cervical nerve to histamine injections in my arm, all to no avail. I tried all the known remedies available at the time.
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Stressful job can affect health

August 20, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: At age 50-plus, I took a job that was stressful to the extent it caused sleepless nights and loss of appetite. I resorted to taking an over-the-counter sleep aid, which left me with a headache and feeling sluggish in the morning. To alleviate those symptoms, I took Excedrin for the headache and a caffeine bump. At the end of the year, my contract expired. I lost 20 pounds and was exhausted.

I went to my physician for a regular checkup. Routine lab work indicated I had an elevated TSH (6). My doctor asked about fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin and more. I explained the circumstances of my former job and because of my age, I was at least perimenopausal. I was still having periods every three weeks instead of four. I felt the symptoms I had indicated hypothyroidism. I expressed my feelings and was prescribed levothyroxine, which was to continue forever. [Read more...]

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